Install Minimal

Linux

Requirements

  • x86_64 or aarch64 architecture
  • Kernel 5.10 or later with unprivileged user namespaces enabled. Ubuntu 24.04 and later restrict them by default; see the Linux host setup guide for the fix.

Install

curl --proto "=https" --tlsv1.2 -fsSL https://go.minimal.dev/stable | sh

Verify

min --version

If installed correctly, it prints the version.

macOS

On macOS, Minimal boots a lightweight Linux microVM via libkrun on Apple’s Hypervisor.framework.

Requirements

  • Apple Silicon (M1 or later). Intel Macs are not supported

Install

Copy and paste the following into your terminal:

curl --proto "=https" --tlsv1.2 -fsSL https://go.minimal.dev/stable | sh

Verify

min --version

If installed correctly, it prints the version.

Upgrade

Re-run the install command for your platform. The installer checks each installed component against the current release and re-downloads only the ones that changed, swapping them into place atomically.

Note: upgrading restarts the Minimal daemon, which interrupts any sessions that are currently active. When sessions are running, the installer lists them and asks on your terminal before ending them; declining leaves everything as it was. For a scripted upgrade that must not stop to ask, set MINIMAL_INSTALL_FORCE_STOP=1, or pass the flag through the shell:

curl --proto "=https" --tlsv1.2 -fsSL https://go.minimal.dev/stable | sh -s -- --force-stop

Uninstall

curl --proto "=https" --tlsv1.2 -fsSL https://go.minimal.dev/stable | sh -s -- --uninstall

This removes every file a previous install placed, including the shell integration. It accepts --force (also remove files you modified), --purge (also delete Minimal’s data, state, and cache directories), and --dry-run (show what would be removed).